Tasty Kitchen Blog » A Cozy Kitchen

Asparagus Quiche with a Spaghetti Squash Crust

A Cozy Kitchen — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:05:19 +0000

Is there anything more perfect and pretty for a Sunday brunch than quiche? Probably not. But let’s be honest, if you’re going for easy, making a quiche ain’t it. On most Sunday mornings—when I’m still trying to wake up—pastry dough isn’t something I want to deal with. So when I saw this recipe from Claire, I was definitely intrigued. This quiche’s crust isn’t made with a traditional pastry dough; instead it’s made using roasted spaghetti squash, making it not only a bit more fuss-free, but also healthier.

Let’s get started!

You want to start the quiche process already having roasted the spaghetti squash. Roasting squash is easy enough: Preheat your oven to 400ºF, line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, slice the squash in half, place it face down and put it the oven for about 20 minutes.

When it’s done, it’ll be very tender. Start with scooping out the seeds, and then scrape the squash with a fork.

Transfer the spaghetti squash to a bowl and set it aside.

In a medium pan, add a bit of olive oil, the diced onion and sauté for a few minutes. Top the onion with the minced garlic.

Next, trim and cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces.

Add the asparagus to the pan and cook until slightly tender.

While the asparagus is cooking, crack the eggs in a bowl, add the milk and Swiss cheese.

Next, add some salt and pepper and whisk the ingredients together.

When the asparagus/onion mixture is cooked and you have the egg mixture ready to go, it’s time to get the quiche ready for the oven.

Press the spaghetti squash into the pie dish, lining it evenly all along the bottom and the sides.

Pour the egg mixture into the pie dish.

And then top it all off with the sautéed asparagus and onion mixture.

Transfer it to the oven and bake until it’s golden and delicious.

Spaghetti squash is definitely in season right now, but as we go through fall, I can see it working beautifully with different types of squashes, like acorn or kabocha. Thanks again to Claire for this beautiful and simple recipe. I’m going to enjoy this recipe for many brunches to come! Visit her blog Just Blither Blather for more recipes from this talented and engaging young blogger.

Recipe

Asparagus Quiche with a Spaghetti Squash Crust

by Claire on April 26, 2012 in Casseroles, Main Courses April 26, 2012

4.00 Mitt(s) 3 Rating(s)

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Recipe Description

A quiche perfect for supper in spring!

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Cut off the woody ends of the asparagus. Chop the onion, mince the garlic, and cut the asparagus spears into 1-inch pieces. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat, and saute onion and garlic for several minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the asparagus and continue to saute until the asparagus has turned bright green and is soft but not limp.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese, salt, and pepper.

Grease a pie pan. Press the cooked spaghetti squash to the sides and bottom of the pan, forming an even crust. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Add the asparagus, onion, and garlic on top of the egg mixture; be sure it sinks in.

Bake for 40 minutes until quiche is firm. Enjoy!

Ingredients

13 ounces, weight Asparagus
½ Small Yellow Onion
2 cloves Garlic
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
5 Eggs
1 cup Milk
1 cup Swiss Cheese
½ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Pepper
3 cups Cooked Spaghetti Squash (1 Small Squash)

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Adrianna is the lovely lady behind the scrumptious blog A Cozy Kitchen. It’s filled with all kinds of mouthwatering recipes and gorgeous photography. Whether you’re in the mood for something vegetarian or meaty, fancy or pure comfort, light or decadent, there’s sure to be something there for everyone.

Lemon Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

A Cozy Kitchen — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 14:40:04 +0000

The markets are overflowing with summer squash and zucchini right now. With their arrival, you’ll also find their pretty and delicate flower: the squash blossom. I love them on everything from pizzas to inside quesadillas with melty cheese. But my favorite way to consume them, hands down, is fried. While I’ve had them prepared this way at numerous restaurants, for some reason it has never dawned on me to simply do this myself. That was until I stumbled upon Miss Delish’s recipe for Lemon Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms.

Let’s get started!

Stuffing squash blossoms with cheeses like ricotta or goat cheese is pretty common. This recipe is definitely more special because there are two types of cheeses, loads of lemon flavor and fresh basil.

To start, you’re going to finely grate the Parmesan-Reggiano, mince up some basil, zest a whole lemon …

And squeeze its juices into a bowl of ricotta. Salt and pepper to taste and it all together.

Whenever I cook with squash blossoms I like to remove their stamens or pistils. If you open up the flower, you’ll find them on the inside base of the flower. After their removal, transfer the blossoms to a colander, rinse them with water, and gently pat them dry with a paper towel.

Begin to stuff the blossoms with the ricotta mixture. I used about a 1/2 teaspoon per squash blossom. If your blossoms are bigger, you might be need a full teaspoon. Just be sure to not overstuff them. They should be able to close at the top all on their own.

Once the blossoms are stuffed and ready to go, you want to heat up your oil. While the oil is heating up, it’s batter time!

The dry ingredients go in a bowl, along with the soda water. A quick mix and the batter is ready.

Dip, swirl and allow any excess batter to run off of the squash blossoms. A thin coat of batter is all you need.

Gently transfer to the hot oil and fry about 2-3 minutes on each side. And that’s it!

These squash blossoms have a lovely zing in the ricotta due to the lemon zest and lemon juice, but I still love serving them with a few wedges of lemon. Oh, and don’t forget good sea salt. I’m a particular fan of big flakes of Maldon sea salt, but really any salt will do just fine.

When you cut into these cute things, you’ll be met with gooey, warm ricotta that has so much flavor. Simply lovely. Though they’re fried, they’re still light and perfect for the warm weather.

Thanks so much, Jill, for this recipe. It’s really lovely. I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I did. Go check out her blog Miss Delish for more yumminess and some beauty tips, too!

Recipe

Lemon Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

by missdelish on September 7, 2011 in Appetizers, Vegetable
See this recipe post on missdelish’s site! September 7, 2011

0.00 Mitt(s) 0 Rating(s)

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Recipe Description

Fresh zucchini blossoms stuffed with a lemony ricotta filling, lightly battered and fried until crisp.

Preparation Instructions

In a bowl mix together the ricotta cheese, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, and basil and then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Fill each of the zucchini blossoms with the ricotta mixture and make sure to squeeze the petals around the filling to secure it in place. Set aside.

In another bowl mix together the flour and baking powder, then carefully whisk in the soda water. Set aside.

In a heavy bottom pot or pan, heat about 2 inches of oil over medium high heat until shimmering. Dip the flowers in the flour mixture and turn them to coat completely. Fry in batches for 2 minutes per side until golden and crispy. Remove to a plate lined with paper towel and immediately season generously with salt.

Wait a minute to pop one of these in your mouth, don’t be like me and scorch off all of your taste buds because you are impatient.

Serve with lemon slices to spritz over top. Enjoy!!

Ingredients

1 cup Ricotta Cheese
¼ cups Parmesan Cheese
1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
¼ cups Chopped Basil
Salt And Pepper, to taste
12 whole Medium Zucchini Blossoms
1-½ cup Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1-½ cup Soda Water
Vegetable Oil, For Frying
More Lemon Slices For Serving

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Cornmeal Buttermilk Cake

A Cozy Kitchen — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:29:33 +0000

I love baking cakes for friends’ birthdays. I mean, what’s not to like; it’s a celebration of being given one more year, there’s presents, smiles all around, and cake, of course! Today I present you with a cake I made for no celebration at all—simply the celebration of a random Thursday. I encourage you to do this, too. I made the cake, took it over my friend’s house and we ate it. All. Go Thursday!

To start baking baking this Cornmeal Buttermilk Cake (from Tasty Kitchen member Kelly), you’re going to start by sifting all of the dry ingredients together.

Set the dry ingredients aside, and turn your attention to the wet ingredients. Mix together the melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla and eggs, until everything is nice and smooth.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. You’re going to mix this until it’s just combined; big lumps are perfectly fine.

Next, pour the batter into the two prepared cake pans. The recipe calls for two eight-inch pans, I used two nine-inch pans because that’s all I had. If you use the eight-inch, just know that your cake will be a tad bit taller. Definitely a good thing!

Transfer the cake pans to your preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer placed in the center comes out clean. While your cake is baking and cooling, make the frosting!

Melt some chocolate. Oooh!

Be sure to allow the chocolate to come to room temperature before throwing it in a bowl with the room temperature butter.

Grab your hand-mixer and beat the two together until they’re nice and creamy, and totally combined.

Next up, add the cocoa powder and powdered sugar, and mix once more. Then pour in the buttermilk, slowly, and mix a little bit more.

When your cake is cool, transfer the first layer to a cake stand or plate. I like to line mine with pieces of parchment so frosting doesn’t get all over the place.

Add a few heaping tablespoons to the center of the first cake’s layer, pushing the frosting to the outsides of the cake, and smoothing it out.

Place the second layer atop the first.

Add more frosting to the top, smoothing it out, and using the excess frosting from the top to cover the sides.

I had these ridiculously girly confetti heart sprinkles in my pantry, so I decided to use them. I bet a variety of sprinkles would work out just great. Or, you could simply stop here and serve it up!

I placed the sprinkles on the outside of the top, going in a circular direction. Nothing fancy here!

Slice it up! And serve with a big glass of milk. That’s a must!

This cake has great texture from the cornmeal and the buttermilk adds a lot of moisture. It’s definitely earned its way into my regular cake rotation, for sure! A big thanks to Kelly for this lovely cake recipe–it’s a keeper! Go visit her blog Evil Shenanigans for more of her, well, evil (yet incredibly delicious) shenanigans.

Recipe

Cornmeal Buttermilk Cake with Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting

by Kelly @ Evil Shenanigans on May 17, 2011 in Cakes, Desserts
See this recipe post on Kelly @ Evil Shenanigans’s site! May 17, 2011

5.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

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Recipe Description

Buttery yellow cake with a hint of cornmeal is topped with a rich chocolate buttermilk frosting.

Preparation Instructions

Heat the oven to 350ºF and spray two 8-inch pans with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and brown sugar. In a medium bowl whisk together the butter, buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs until well-combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until there are no large lumps of flour remaining. A few small lumps are fine. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake pulls away from the side of the pan and springs back when gently pressed in the center. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cake cools, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl cream together the melted chocolate and butter until smooth and creamy.

Add in the vanilla, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar and begin mixing. Slowly add in the buttermilk until the frosting reaches your desired spreading consistency. If the frosting is stiff, feel free to add a few more drops of buttermilk.

Once the cake is cool, frost and decorate as desired.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:
1-¾ cup All-purpose Flour
⅓ cups Yellow Cornmeal
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
½ teaspoons Baking Soda
½ teaspoons Salt
1 cup Sugar
½ cups Packed Light Brown Sugar
8 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
1 cup Buttermilk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
4 whole Eggs At Room Temperature
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FOR THE FROSTING:
4 ounces, weight Semi Sweet Chocolate Melted
2 sticks Butter, At Room Temperature
1 teaspoon Vanilla
¼ cups Cocoa Powder
5 cups Powdered Sugar
⅓ cups Buttermilk

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Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cookies

A Cozy Kitchen — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:00:03 +0000

When I saw this recipe from TK member The Church Cook, I thought I was buying into a lemon-flavored shortbread cookie experience. Oh no, my friends–these Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cookies were better than a typical shortbread cookie—times four hundred thousand. These cookies are soft and pillowy; they walk the the line—perfectly—between tart and sweet.

Spring is in the air. It’s upon us, and what better way to embrace it than baking up a batch of these light and zesty cookies. I made these twice: once using Meyer lemons (my grocery store still has them stocked), and then a second time using regular lemons. Both times resulted in utter deliciousness.

Let’s dive in!

Start by mixing all of the dry ingredients together: all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt.

Slice the lemon. Get it ready.

Next, beat the sugar and butter together until nice and fluffy.

Add the eggs.

And then the ricotta. (We’re almost there!)

Fresh lemon juice is added in.

And lastly, the lemon zest.

Fold in the dry ingredient mixture and mix until it just comes together. No overmixing.

Using a cookie scooper (or two teaspoons), drop the cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

These cookies spread a bit so make sure they’re not super close together.

Transfer them to a preheated oven (set to 375ºF) and bake for 15 minutes. While they’re baking, make the glaze!

To a medium bowl, add the powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. Yum! Mix it all together until it’s nice and smooth.

When the cookies are cooled to room temperature, drizzle the glaze on top. Get all Jackson Pollock with it—it’s fun!

Allow the glaze to set for 2 hours before serving. But, I mean, if you wanted to serve the cookies while the glaze is all gooey and delicious, I doubt anyone would mind.

I’m excited to try these cookies with different types of citrus, like pomelos, cara cara oranges, and maybe blood oranges. The possibilities are endless!

Big thanks to Kay for this delicious and easy cookie recipe. It has officially earned its way into my treasure trove of great cookie recipes. It should be in yours, too. Go visit her blog, The Church Cook. She has really good recipes, I’m telling you.

Recipe

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cookies

by The Church Cook (Kay Heritage) on June 24, 2011 in Cookies, Desserts
See this recipe post on The Church Cook (Kay Heritage)’s site! June 24, 2011

5.00 Mitt(s) 6 Rating(s)

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Recipe Description

Lemony cookies you will love!

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the cookies: In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In your large mixer bowl, combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients. Do not over mix.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

For the glaze: Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cooled cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread the glaze. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container.

Make Ahead:
Measure out dry and wet ingredients separately and it makes it so easy on the day of baking. Or bake the cookies and freeze them. On the day of serving, make and glaze the cookies at least a few hours ahead.

Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIES:
2-½ cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 stick Unsalted Butter, Softened
2 cups Granulated Sugar
2 whole Eggs
1 whole (15-ounce) Container Of Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
3 Tablespoons Fresh Meyer Lemon Juice (regular Can Be Substituted)
1 teaspoon Meyer Lemon Zest (regular Lemon Zest Can Be Substituted)
FOR THE GLAZE:
1-½ cup Powdered Sugar
3 Tablespoons Fresh Meyer Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Lemon Zest

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Jalapeno Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

A Cozy Kitchen — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:00:18 +0000

The holiday season is upon us, my friends. Parties, gatherings and festivities galore! I love a good party, and I love a potluck party even more. Stuffed mushrooms are one of my favorite dishes to bring to gatherings. They’re easy to assemble, their bite size shape makes them perfect for guests to eat as they mingle, and who can deny their deliciousness. In particular, these Jalapeno Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms from TK member Kelly of Evil Shenanigans caught my eye. I’ll be honest, the title of the recipe had everything to do with my curiosity. Cheese? Yes. Bacon? Double yes. And spicy, too?! Triple yes.

Let’s get started!

Grab a small bowl and toss the panko bread crumbs with the melted butter.

Clean the mushrooms and remove their stems. Go ahead and dice up the stems and set aside. We’re going to use them later!

Dice up the jalapeno, yellow onion and garlic. Triple threat!

In a saute pan, cook the diced bacon until golden brown and crispy.

Add the jalapenos, onions, garlic …

… and diced stems.

Cook the mixture for five minutes, or until the vegetables become translucent.

This is when the fun starts!

In a medium bowl, mix up the cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese. Once it’s all mixed, add the warm vegetable/bacon mixture and toss.

Place the mushrooms on a lined baking sheet.

Using a tablespoon, scoop the mixture into the mushroom centers.

Lastly, top each mushroom with a bit of the buttery panko mixture.

I ended up with a bit more mixture left so I ended up getting fifteen mushrooms out of this recipe. I’m definitely not complaining!

Bake the mushrooms for 20 minutes, or until the tops turn a golden brown and the cheese starts to ooze out the sides.

I have big plans for making this again (I’m doubling the recipe next time), taking them to a party and watching as they disappear. This will happen—guaranteed!

Thank you to TK member Kelly for the easy-breezy, amazing recipe. Also, check out her blog, Evil Shenanigans. It’s filled with delicious, comforting dishes! (And if you want to learn more about her and where her blog gets its name, check out her Tasty Kitchen Blog feature.)

Recipe

Jalapeno Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

by Kelly @ Evil Shenanigans on December 9, 2009 in Appetizers
See this recipe post on Kelly @ Evil Shenanigans’s site! December 9, 2009

5.00 Mitt(s) 7 Rating(s)

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Recipe Description

Mushroom caps are stuffed with creamy cheese and bacon and topped with crunchy panko bread crumbs.

Preparation Instructions

In a small bowl, combine the panko bread crumbs with the melted butter. Toss until evenly coated. Set aside.

Heat the oven to 350 F.

Carefully clean and stem the mushrooms. Set the caps on a small baking sheet. Chop the stems and set aside.

In a small pan over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp. Add the chopped vegetables and mushroom stems and cook until softened, about five minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, mix the shredded cheese with the cream cheese until well combined. Add the warm vegetable mixture and mix well.

Divide the filling evenly between the mushrooms. Top with the buttered panko mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and the topping is golden brown.

Ingredients

12 whole Mushrooms, Large
¼ cups Panko Bread Crumbs
1 Tablespoon Butter
3 slices Thick Cut Bacon, Chopped
1 whole Jalapeno, Minced
¼ cups Diced Yellow Onion
1 clove Garlic, Minced
1 ounce, weight Cream Cheese
2 ounces, weight Cheddar Cheese
¼ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Fresh Ground Pepper

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Broccoli Cheddar Soup

A Cozy Kitchen — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:21:45 +0000

Broccoli cheddar soup will forever make me think of those cold college nights when my friends and I would head to Panera to eat copious amounts of soup in bread bowls. It was one of those college activities we did since Panera was super inexpensive, pretty delicious and one of the only restaurants open past 8pm in our teeny-tiny college town. I’ve been wanting to recreate one of my favorite college memories for as long as I can remember, so when I came across this Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe from TK member Crystal, I knew it was mine for the taking.

Let’s get started, shall we?

You’ll need to steam some broccoli (I’ll admit I totally forgot this step and it turned out great!), finely dice some onions, and shred two different types of cheeses: extra sharp white cheddar and extra sharp yellow cheddar.

Next you’re going to add the broccoli to a food processor and pulse until it’s the consistency of a meal.

In a large stock pot, melt the butter and add the onion. You’ll want to cook them until they’re translucent. Mine took 5 minutes or so.

Then add the 2 tablespoons of flour and mix with the butter and onion mixture. You’ll create a bit of a roux.

Next up, add the cream and milk, being sure to stir constantly.

Then the beef stock.

I had some vegetarian friends coming over so I opted for vegetarian stock; it worked wonderfully.

After you’re done mixing in the milks and broth, gently stir in the pulsed broccoli

And then the yellow cheddar …

And then the white cheddar …

Are you getting excited yet?

Mix it all together and then do a little taste test. I actually ended up adding about a handful extra of each of the cheese. I was going for extra cheesy!

Add some salt and pepper if you feel like it needs it. Mine needed about a teaspoon of salt and pepper.

If you don’t feel like doing the bread bowl thing, then your soup is totally ready to be served.

If you do, grab the bread. I used a whole wheat sourdough.

Cut a circle in the top of the bread.

And take out the center, creating a bowl.

Ladle the soup into the center of the bread bowl until it’s full.

Top with a small handful of cheese … and dinner!

This soup was everything broccoli cheddar should be: it’s rich, thick, savory, and cheesy beyond belief, which makes it perfect for those cold nights we have in our near future.

Thanks again to TK member Crystal, for this delicious tasting soup.

Recipe

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

by uumom2many on February 1, 2010 in Creamy Soups, Soups
See this recipe post on uumom2many’s site! February 1, 2010

3.25 Mitt(s) 8 Rating(s)

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Recipe Description

Soup so thick it sticks to a spoon. Tastes like liquified Broccoli and Cheese. This recipe makes 2 liters of soup. Enough for a big hungry family.

Preparation Instructions

Melt butter in a large stock pot. Add onion and cook slowly until limp. Stir in flour and cook for 3 minutues, stirring. Slowly add the stock, milk and cream, alternating until all are combined. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Stir in the cheese and broccoli (see note below). Keep stirring until the cheese is completely melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The longer this soup sits, the thicker it gets, until you end up with a soup that won’t fall off a spoon.

Note: to prepare the broccoli, steam until tender and pulse in a food processor until you get a meal-like consistency.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Salted Butter
2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Onion
2 Tablespoons Flour
2 cups Beef Broth Or Bouillon
3 cups Whole Milk
1 cup Heavy Cream
1-½ cup Extra Sharp White Cheddar Shredded
1-½ cup Extra Sharp Yellow Cheddar Shredded
4 cups Steamed Broccoli Pulsed Into A Meal

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Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes

A Cozy Kitchen — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:47:51 +0000

“Scalloped” is an attractive word, isn’t it? When I hear it I think of several things: first, there’s scallops, as in the seafood—totally delicious. Then there’s the scalloped shape that can live on the edge of a pair of shorts or on the collar of a woman’s blouse—always pretty and dainty. And of course scalloped potatoes also comes to mind, which carries my imagination to a land of crispy potato skins drenched in a sea of cheese and cream. I can think of no better place to exist, actually. So when I came across TK member Shelbi Keith’s recipe for Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes, I knew we were going to become fast friends. I couldn’t have been more correct.

The first players up are: a few Russet potatoes (I’m sure other varieties will work equally as well), Parmigiano-Reggiano and butter.

Start by scrubbing your potatoes good and clean.

Then, using a sharp knife, make slices across the potato, being sure to stop before you reach its bottom. If you’re scared of cutting too far, a good technique is resting the potato in a wooden spoon. The spoon will actually prevent you from going all the way through!

Cut up your butter. Using super cold butter makes it easier to slice and to shove in the potato. I recommend sticking it in the freezer for bit.

Then do the same with the Parmigiano-Reggiano. No freezer tip for this one. It’s fine as is.

Next, open the potatoes’ crevices and shove the parmesan and butter, alternating between the two. Transfer them to a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. (I skipped the pepper.) Drizzle a little olive oil on top of the potatoes and they’ll be good to go.

After they’re stuffed with butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano, you want to bake them at 400ºF for about 45 minutes to an hour. I found mine were done more at the hour mark.

When they’re done baking, you’re still a few minutes away from cheesy gloriousness!

First you have drizzle the heavy cream atop the potatoes …

And then add the shredded cheddar and bake for an addition 10-15 minutes.

They’ll come out looking all cheesy and inviting. Like this.

Transfer them to your plate. Of course, you can serve them just like this. They’ll be amazing.

But isn’t everything better with a dollop of sour cream? Yes, yes I think so.

This recipe is a total winner. It’d be perfect as a main dish accompanied with a salad, or as a side dish to, say, a roast chicken? The cheese and cream make this meal cozy and comforting, which is perfect for those chilly, brisk autumn evenings. Thank you, Shelbi Keith for this delicious recipe. It’s earned a permanent place in my recipe box! It should be in yours, too. Be sure to check out Shelbi’s blog Look Who’s Cooking Now.

Recipe

Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes

by Shelbi Keith on June 7, 2011 in Potatoes, Sides
See this recipe post on Shelbi Keith’s site! June 7, 2011

4.82 Mitt(s) 11 Rating(s)

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Recipe Description

Cheesy, creamy, potato-ey!

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Scrub potatoes.

You need 2 wooden spoons with handles of the same width. Place a spoon on each side of the potato and start slicing the potato into thin slices. The spoons will stop the knife from cutting all the way through the potato.

Slice the butter into thin pieces. Alternate the butter and the parmesan, stuffing them in between the slices of the potato. Season the potato with garlic powder and kosher salt. Drizzle the potato with olive oil.

Bake at 400ºF for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle heavy cream over the potatoes. Top with cheddar cheese.

Place back in the oven for 10-12 more minutes. Remove and serve!

Ingredients

2 whole Golden Potatoes
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 piece (about 2 Inches Long) Parmigiano-Reggiano, Sliced Thinly
⅛ teaspoons Garlic Powder
¼ teaspoons Kosher Salt
2 teaspoons Olive Oil
¼ cups Heavy Cream
¼ cups Cheddar Cheese Blend

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Adrianna and Caroline are the lovely ladies behind the scrumptious blog A Cozy Kitchen. It’s filled with all kinds of mouthwatering recipes and gorgeous photography. Whether you’re in the mood for something vegetarian or meaty, fancy or pure comfort, light or decadent, there’s sure to be something there for everyone.

Best Carrot Cake of All Time

A Cozy Kitchen — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:17:45 +0000

There’s nothing quite like a moist piece of carrot cake speckled with a variety of coconut, nuts, dried fruit and carrots. Carrot cake truly does make my heart pitter-patter. And what I love most of all is that the bits of shredded carrots make the entire thing healthy, right? Right?

Regardless of whether that last statement is actually true or not, there’s plenty of reasons—healthiness aside—to make this carrot cake. Like its appropriate title, this was in fact the best carrot cake I’ve had to date. Big-ups to TK member Kpurwin (who adapted it from Southern Living) for providing us with such an honest and delightful recipe.

To kick off this carrot cake endeavor, you’re going to start by lining (and greasing) your cake pans with wax paper. This makes for easy carrot cake extraction later on.

Time to get all of the dry ingredients together: all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Do a little sift action and set aside.

Next up, the wet ingredients. Start with the sugar.

Add the eggs and vanilla.

Lastly, add the buttermilk. And then, using a hand mixer, beat everything together until completely blended.

Add the flour mixture in a few batches and beat, on low, until juuuust combined.

Let’s be honest. The best part about carrot cake is all the stuff it’s studded with. Let’s start with the coconut and pecans. And if you’re all out, substituting almonds is totally a good idea.

Add the grated carrots and cubed pineapple. Everyone will thank you later for this.

Transfer the batter to your two lined and greased cake pans. That’s some gorgeous looking batter, isn’t it?

Stick it in a preheated 350ºF oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.

While it’s baking, turn your attention to the buttermilk glaze. It’s a breeze. Add everything to a saucepan (minus the vanilla) and cook until it reaches a boil and just mix. And then add the vanilla at the end.

Right when your cakes come out of the oven, pour the buttermilk glaze over them. This will give them a good dose of extra awesomeness.

You’re gonna wanna spread it all around evenly, making sure the entire cake is coated and smothered in it.

Let the cake cool completely and come to room temperature. While it’s doing its cooling-down action, you can get started on the cream cheese frosting.

Pretty standard stuff. Just add everything to a bowl and beat until completely smooth.

After your cake is done cooling, you’re going to transfer the first layer of the cake to a big plate or cake stand. You can line the cake stand by placing squares of parchment underneath the cake. Then when you’re done icing your cake, all you have to do is remove the parchment squares, and tadaaa! Clean cake stand.

Place a big scoop of icing on top of the cake. This would be a perfect time for an off-set spatula, but since I have a kitchen that eats things, my big spatula had to do.

Just be sure to lay it on thick! You want a good layer of icing in between the two layers.

Gently place the second cake atop the first one.

Evenly distribute icing on the top and on the sides. If you want to get fancy, you can stick this in the fridge so the icing can set and then add on one more even layer of icing.

OR you could be lazy and, taking a knife, swirl on a second layer of frosting.

Take the parchment from the sides and you’re set to present, eat, and devour your carrot cake.

As promised, this recipe really is for the best carrot cake ever. There’s loads of texture, plenty of moistness and the combination of the buttermilk glaze and cream cheese frosting absolutely result in the best carrot cake of all time. This carrot cake deserves a place in everyone’s recipe box/arsenal.

Thank you Katy and Christine for creating two towers of heaven! Visit their site Young and Hungry for more of their recipes.

Recipe

Best Carrot Cake of All Time

by kpurwin on November 24, 2009 in Cakes, Desserts
See this recipe post on kpurwin’s site! November 24, 2009

4.80 Mitt(s) 25 Rating(s)

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Recipe Description

A buttermilk glaze quickly poured over hot cake layers and allowed to cool results in the moistest cake you’ve ever had! It’s finished, appropriately, with a cream cheese icing.

Preparation Instructions

CAKE:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 8-inch (or 9-inch) round cakepans with waxed paper. Lightly grease and flour the waxed paper. Set pans aside.

Stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Beat eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in grated carrot, pineapple, coconut, and pecans. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center come out clean. Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on the top and sides of cake.

BUTTERMILK GLAZE:

Bring sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, butter or margarine, and light corn syrup to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.

Ingredients

CARROT CAKE:
2 cups All-purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
½ teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
3 whole Large Eggs
2 cups Sugar
¾ cups Vegetable Oil
¾ cups Buttermilk
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 cups Grated Carrot
1 can (8 Oz. Can) Crushed Pineapple, Drained
3-½ ounces, weight Flaked Coconut
1 cup Chopped Pecans
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BUTTERMILK GLAZE:
½ cups Sugar
¾ teaspoons Baking Soda
¼ cups Buttermilk
¼ cups Butter Or Margarine
½ Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
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Cream Cheese Frosting
¾ cups Butter Or Margarine, Softened
11 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Softened
3 cups Sifted Powdered Sugar
1-½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

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When French Toast Met Pancakes

A Cozy Kitchen — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:00:20 +0000

If you ever want me to like you, just make me a light, fluffy stack of pancakes. I’ll blush, I’ll smile a lot, I might propose–it’ll be weird and cute. Promise.

Just when I thought pancakes couldn’t get any better, I stumbled upon this recipe by Tasty Kitchen member frecklesandsunshine. The title: When French Toast Met Pancakes…and Fell In Love totally made me giddy with butterflies in my stomach. I was in love way before the batch was whipped up.

What makes this recipe so unusual (and delicious) is how the French toast is coated in a very thin pancake batter, creating an amazing crust around the bread. The results are pure heaven!

Let’s dive in, shall we?

You’ll need some ingredients. There’s eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, milk, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, some vegetable oil, all-purpose flour and a good hearty bread.

I used brioche because I wanted something that would be able to take the heavy batter. It worked beautifully.

In a large bowl, add the eggs and beat ‘em until they’re light and fluffy.

Next, we’re just going to add all of the ingredients (minus the bread) one at a time. First, the milk …

The baking powder …

The vegetable oil …

Vanilla extract (having fun yet?) …

Brown sugar …

All-purpose flour …

And lastly, the cinnamon. Secret alert: I added a little more vanilla and cinnamon. I couldn’t help myself.

I sliced up the brioche and then cut the slices in half.

Now for the fun part. Let’s dunk!

Gently submerge the slices in the batter and lift, allowing the excess batter to run off.

Transfer to a buttered skillet and cook on both sides until golden brown.

For some added deliciousness, top with a pat of butter, dust on some powdered sugar and add a few pieces of fruit.

And then … take a bite. See the dreamy crust? That’s what looove looks like!

Big thanks to Stacey for submitting this glorious recipe. You can check out Stacey’s blog Freckles and Sunshine for more delicious recipes (and crafts!).

Recipe

When French Toast Met Pancakes … and Fell in Love

by frecklesandsunshine on March 28, 2011 in Breakfast, Pancakes
See this recipe post on frecklesandsunshine’s site! March 28, 2011

4.90 Mitt(s) 10 Rating(s)

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Recipe Description

In downtown Champaign, there is a greasy spoon diner known as Sam’s Cafe. At Sam’s, they make the most delectable French toast I have ever eaten. What makes this French toast special is that rather than dipping it in the typical egg batter, it seems like Sam dips the bread into a thinned out pancake batter. French Toast meets Pancake and they fall in love. Heaven!

We attempted to hack our own version. Here’s the result.

Preparation Instructions

Beat eggs until fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients (except bread). Heat a griddle over medium high heat until a drop of water skitters across the pan. Dip one slice of bread at a time in the batter until it is completely covered. Place on the griddle and cook until brown on one side. Then, flip and brown the other side. You will know the bread is ready to flip in the same way you know pancakes are ready: the edges look dry and bubbles have formed in the batter along the crust. Slather with butter and drizzle on some maple syrup. These also freeze well for breakfast later in the week.

Ingredients

4 whole Large Eggs
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1 cup Milk
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1-½ teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Vanilla (optional)
½ teaspoons Cinnamon, Optional
12 slices Bread (you'll Want Something Thick And Hearty To Stand Up To The Heavier Batter)

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Baked Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce

A Cozy Kitchen — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:45:11 +0000

I’m a firm believer that a runny egg goes with everything. Whether it’s a bowl of pasta, atop a piece of toast, or accompanied by a drizzle of Hollandaise sauce, it’s simply perfect. Is there anything more attractive than a runny egg? I think not.

That’s why when I saw this Baked Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce with Goat Cheese from TK member Apricosa (Erica), I couldn’t resist.

Goat cheese? Check. Tomato sauce? Check. And lastly, a runny egg? Triple check.

Here’s what you’ll need: a can of crushed tomatoes (I’m a personal fan of San Marzano), goat cheese, eggs, diced carrots, diced onions, garlic, a few leaves of basil and some spices.

Start with heating up some olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan. When it’s hot, add the diced onions…

The carrots…

And lastly, the garlic. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the carrots are soft.

Open your can of crushed tomatoes and add them to the onion mixture.

Add the basil and spices, which include oregano, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Since I’m a heat lover, I added a little extra crushed red pepper. Delicious.

Stir the tomato mixture and let it simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. The sauce will reduce, the carrots will soften even more and your entire house will smell incredible. All very good things.

If you have an immersion blender, you can simply blend the tomato sauce in the pan. If you don’t, then transfer the sauce (in batches) to a blender. Warning: blending hot stuff can be a little dangerous (read: explosions anyone?).

Doing it in a few batches and allowing the hot air to escape will prevent it this from happening.

Grab eight ramekins (I halved this recipe so I did four) and fill them about 3/4 of the way with tomato sauce.

I had no extra sauce! I love it when a recipe’s measurements are exactamundo, don’t you?

Next add the goat cheese.

And then add one egg to each of the ramekins. Top with some salt and pepper and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the white part has completely set.

Top with a few pieces of basil and serve with toast.

What I also love about this recipe (besides its deliciousness), is how it’s so versatile. This dish would make for a great breakfast, lunch or dinner. Also, did I mention there’s a runny egg involved?

A big thank you to Erica for sharing this lovely recipe! Check out her blog, Apricosa, for a bunch of equally yumalicious meals.

Recipe

Baked Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce with Goat Cheese and Toast

by Apricosa (Erica) on January 12, 2011 in Breakfast, Eggs
See this recipe post on Apricosa (Erica)’s site! January 12, 2011

5.00 Mitt(s) 3 Rating(s)

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Recipe Description

A perfect make-ahead brunch dish!

Preparation Instructions

To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a small pot over medium-high heat and saute the chopped onion, carrots, and garlic for a few minutes until slightly softened. Add red pepper flakes, crushed tomatoes, oregano, and basil, and stir to combine. Cover and bring just to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from burning. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then blend well with an immersion stick blender. (Do ahead: sauce can be made up to a week ahead of time. Reheat before continuing.)

Spoon 1/4 cup of warm sauce into each of 8 ramekins (use leftover sauce for another use), then dot each ramekin with about 2 teaspoons crumbled goat cheese. (Do ahead: ramekins can be prepared with sauce and cheese the day before, then covered and refrigerated overnight. Heat in the preheating oven until ramekins and sauce are warm, not hot, and continue with the recipe.)

Crack an egg into each ramekin, sprinkle with salt, and bake in a preheated oven at 425F for 15-20 minutes, until whites have set but yolk is still soft.

Garnish with fresh basil chiffonade, if desired, and serve immediately with toast points for dipping into the yolk and sauce.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
½ cups Diced Onion
¼ cups Carrot Diced
2 cloves Garlic, Crushed And Chopped
⅛ teaspoons (or More) Red Pepper Flakes
28 ounces, weight Crushed Tomatoes
¼ teaspoons Dried Oregano
¼ cups (packed) Fresh Basil Leaves, Torn Into Pieces, Plus More For Garnish
½ cups Goat Cheese Crumbled
8 whole Eggs At Room Temperature
Salt And Pepper, to taste
8 slices Toast Bread, Toasted Golden Brown And Cut Into Triangles
Toast Points, To Serve

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